The Promise of Possibility
May. 31st, 2021 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Buffy/Yakuza AU, follow-up to Shoulda Seen It
Chapter Summary: Xander and Giles check out the rewards from the favor for Ethan.
Word Count: 485
Rating: Teen
Pairing: background Giles/Ethan
It’s an irony, Xander considers, hard hat firmly jammed on his head, that both he and Majima had, at one time or another, worked construction. To be fair, he gravitated toward it for multiple reasons, honestly. Sweaty, strong guys (not that he ogled, just…incidentally noticed, now and then, he’s got a bit of class), the chance to flex his own muscles, familiarity…‘course, a good chunk of it was talkin’ to folk an’ signin’ things, and when he’s not the owner anymore, he doesn’t have to do that part of it anymore. It’s more just…swinging a sledgehammer around, which, don’t get him wrong, he’s more than happy to do. It’s nice, working up a sweat, and good practice for swinging one around in a fight, smashing zombie skulls. Just like Kiryu-chan had used bowling as practice, though he hadn’t exactly been fighting the undead for real.
He’s not sure what Giles did with Ethan this time. Doesn’t want to know, really. If Oton’s happy, he’s happy, but he really doesn’t need to know the details.
This isn’t a construction site yet, but soon it will be. So he doesn’t quite need the equipment yet, but he’s not taking chances. He’d been joking about needing a Fortress of Solitude, but here, on the storm-wracked island, he’s getting Ideas, capitalized.
Another place, nominally neutral, to train Slayers the unorthodox way. Somewhere safe to hide in case of emergency. Maybe a cabaret, but one that truly caters to everyone. Images of Purgatory dance in his head, but it sure ain’t gonna be any Benten Inn. Bridges and water features and wood and constantly glowing lanterns.
Sure, it’s a rocky island, but long as he designs with an eye for safety, no big deal. Nobody getting poked, nobody falling off. This place could be an absolute warren, underground chambers, quarters separated from a mini-city…
He’ll have to make a few sketches.
“You did all the work, so I suspect it would be only fitting if you retained the rights to this little island,” Giles states, only slightly out of breath from clambering all over the rocks. He looks happy, even if he’s concealing it a bit. Probably happy that Xander’s taking an interest in something again, honestly.
“Aww, thanks, Otousan,” Xander grins. He’d been bounding over the rocks like a goat rather than a one-eyed hyena. Or human, as the case may be. Too much caffeine, but then, he’d been a little nervous. Sure, he’d gotten used to hopping through space via portal, but he tended to get antsy if he gave himself too much space to think about it. “I got some ideas, but I’ll need Annie-chan.”
He’d involve Willow, but he suspects she might disapprove, at least at the beginning. Give her time, get it finished first and she’ll at least give it more of a chance. He’s not the only one who gets distracted by the shiny.